5th Grade Science Priority Benchmarks

Explain why evidence, clear communication, accurate record keeping, replication by others, and openness to scrutiny are essential parts of doing science.

Understand that different models can be used to represent natural phenomena and these models have limitations about what they can explain.
For example: Different kinds of maps of a region provide different information about the land surface. 

Generate a scientific question and plan an appropriate scientific investigation, such as systematic observations, field studies, open-ended exploration or controlled experiments to answer the question.

Identify and collect relevant evidence, make systematic observations and accurate measurements, and identify variables in a scientific investigation.

Use appropriate tools and techniques in gathering, analyzing and interpreting data. For example: Spring scale,metric measurements, tables, mean/median/range, spreadsheets, and appropriate graphs.

Demonstrate that a greater force on an object can produce a greater change in motion.

Explain how slow processes, such as water erosion, and rapid processes, such as landslides and volcanic eruptions, form features of the Earth's surface.

Identify renewable and non-renewable energy and material resources that are found in Minnesota and describe how they are used. For example: Water, iron ore, granite, sand and gravel, wind and forests.

Describe how plant and animal structures and their functions provide an advantage for survival in a given natural system. For example: Compare the physical characteristics of plants or animals from widely different environments, such as desert versus tropical, and explore how each has adapted to its environment.

Explain what would happen to a system such as a wetland, prairie or garden if one of its parts were changed.  For example: Investigate how road salt runoff affects plants, insects and other parts of an ecosystem.  Another example: Investigate how an invasive species changes an ecosystem.

Give examples of beneficial and harmful human interaction with natural systems.  For example: Recreation, pollution, or wildlife management.